Hydraulic ice maker



Nov. 29, 1966 Filed Feb. 7, 1.966

FIGJ

D. W. JACOBUS HYDRAULIC ICE MAKER INVENTOR. DWIGHT vJ. II'AC 0505 H as T QRMEY United States Patent 3,287,927 HYDRAULIC ICE MAKER Dwight W. .lacobus, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 525,490 Claims. (Cl. 62-135) The present invention relates to hydraulic ice make-rs of the type in which ice is formed in a tubular mold to form a rod of ice, portions which are periodically ejected from the tubular mold by water pressure and severed to form short ice pieces.

In order to control the length of the extruded portion or segment of ice and obtain severed portions of uniform size, it is necessary to control the amount or volume of Water introduced into the mold during each cycle of operation. The means heretofore employed for this purpose have been too complex or too costly to warrant the adaptation of such ice makers to household refrigerators.

' It is a general object of the present invention to provide a low cost hydraulic ice maker of simple construction particularly adapted :for operation in the freezer compartment of a household refrigerator.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ice maker of the above type including new and improved means for assuring the supply of a predetermined volume of water to the mold during each ice ejection cycle.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ice maker of the above type including means for assuring adequate water pressure for the operation thereof independent of water supply pressures.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved automatic ice maker of this type including hydraulically operated means for severing ejected ice segments operated by the charge of water periodically introduced into the mold element.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be'pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an ice mold in the form of a tube which is open at one end and which is designed to contain water to be frozen into the form of an ice rod. A water inlet at the other end of the tube provides means for introducing a charge of water into the tube to eject a portion of the ice column or rod for-med therein from the open end. Means positioned adjacent the open end of the tube for severing the ejected portion or segment of ice, includes an expansion chamber operable upon expansion thereof to sever an ejected portion of ice. Means for supplying water to the tube and for operating the severing means includes, in series connection, a boiler, a high pressure relief valve and water conduit means connecting the relief valve to both the expansion chamber and the water inlet. Energization of heating means associated with the boiler effects vaporization of water contained therein thereby increasing the pressure to effect a flow of a predetermined volume of water through the relief valve into the expansion chamber to operate the ice severing means. Subsequent weakening or thawing of the bond between the ice rod and the walls of the tube by means of a tube heater permits the ejection of a portion of the rod as the volume of water previously supplied to the expansion chamber flows into the tube through the water inlet.

For a more detailed description of the present invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of one form of a hydraulic ice maker of the present invention; and

Patented Nov. 29, 1966 FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the mold and severing means forming part of the ice maker of FIGURE 1.

While the ice maker of the present invention may be connected either to the usual high pressure household or city water source of water or to a water tank or reservoir operating under atmospheric pressure, the illustrated embodiment of the invention is specifically designed for connection to the usual high pressure household source.

Referring to the drawing, the ice maker comprises an ice mold in the form of a metal tube 1 in which water is frozen into a rod of ice. For the purpose of freezing this water, the tube 1 may be mounted, for example, in the freezer compartment of a household refrigerator illustrated by broken lines and indicated generally by the reference numeral 2. The tube includes an open top end 3 through which segments or portions of ice rod 4 are periodically ejected by the introduction of a predetermined volume of water into the tube through a water inlet 5 adjacent its closed bottom end.

Means for severing an ejected portion of the ice rod 4 includes a bumper 7 actuated by a normally contracted expansion chamber or bellows 8 to which Water under moderate pressure is periodically fed through a conduit 10. As will be more fully described hereinafter, the introduction of water into the bellows 8 effects expansion thereof whereby the bumper 7, normally positioned to one side of the open top 3 of the tube, moves into contact with and breaks off or severs an ejected portion of the ice rod 4.

The ice maker is connected to a suitable source of water represented by the conduit 11 through valve means designed to prevent reverse flow of the water and to control operating pressure conditions within the water supply components of the ice maker. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention this valve means includes an electrically operated solenoid valve 12 and a check valve 14.

Additional components of the water supply means include a boiler 15, a condenser 16 and a relief valve 17 connected in series flow connection between the valve means represented by the solenoid valve 12 and check valve 14 and the Water inlet 5. The outlet end 18 of the relief valve 17 is connected to the inlet 5 through a conduit 19 and to the bellows 8 through the conduit 16.

The automatic operation of the ice maker is controlled by a thermostat or temperature responsive switch means 21 in heat transfer contact with the tube 1 at a point spaced somewhat from the bottom end thereof. The thermostat 21 controls the energization of a tube heater 22 designed to thaw or release the bond between the ice rod 4 and the tube and a boiler heater 24 for periodically vaporizing water contained within the boiler 15.

When the ice maker is connected to a high pressure source of water supply such was the household water supply line, the thermostat 21 also controls the operation of the solenoid valve 12 through a circuit including a pressure responsive limit switch generally indicated by the numeral 26. Switch 26 includes a bellows or other expanding means 27, connected to the conduit 28 leading from the condenser 16 to the relief valve 17, and a switch 29 in series connection between the thermostat 21 and the solenoid valve 12.

In considering the operation of the illustrated ice maker, it will be assumed that a body of water contained in the tube 1 has frozen into a rod of ice so that the thermostat 21 senses a below freezing temperature of the tube 1. Under such conditions, the thermostat 21 connects both of the heaters 22 and 24 across the supply lines 30 and 31 so that heat is supplied both to the boiler 15 and to the tube 1. The limit switch 29 is closed as a result of low pressure conditions existing within the water sup:

' to permit the flow of water through this valve.

ply means so that the solenoid valve 12 is also connected across the lines 30 and 31 upon closing of the thermostat 21. Opening of the solenoid valve 12 permits high pressure water to flow into the portion of the water supply means between the valve 12 and the relief valve 17 until it builds up a moderate pressure of, for example, p.s.i., as sensed by the limit switch means 26. At this pressure, switch 29 opens to de-energize and close the solenoid valve 12.

Tube heater 22 and the boiler heater 24 are so designed that the boiler heater 24 will heat and vaporize the water contained in the boiler 15 before the tube heater 22 thaws or releases the bond between the ice rod 4 and the interior surface of the tube 1. As the pressure within the boiler 15 increases due to the vaporization of the water contained therein, the relief valve 17, designed for example to open at the pressure of about p.s.i. opens Water vapor is prevented from reaching valve 17 by the condensing action and storage volume of condenser 16. Since at this point the heater 22 has not as yet thawed the bond between the tube 1 and the ice rod 4, all of the water flowing through the relief valve 17 passes through the two way conduit 10 into the bellows 8. Expansion of the bellows 8 causes the bumper 7 to contact a previously extruded portion of the ice rod and break that portion or segment free for discharge into a suitable recepta-cle (not shown).

For optimum control, the storage volume of the boiler should be substantially equal to the increase in the volume of the bellows 8 to its expanded condition and should also represent the desired volume of water to be introduced into the tube 1 during each ice ejecting cycle of operation.

Upon vaporization of all of the water contained within the boiler 15, there is no further significant pressure generation and hence no further water flow through the relief valve 17. Conditions then remain static until the tube heater 22 has thawed or released the bond between the tube and the ice rod 4 sufficiently to permit ejection of a portion of the ice rod 4 by the pressure of the water stored in the expansion chamber or bellows 8. Introduction of relatively warm water from chamber 8 into the tube 1 during ejection of a portion of the ice rod 4 warms the thermostat 21 to an above-freezing temperature at which the thermostat 21 operates to de-energize both of the heaters 22 and 24 thereby conditioning the ice maker for a subsequent cycle of operation.

During the period that the new charge of water introduced into the tube 1 is being frozen into ice, condensation of the water vapor remaining in the boiler 15 causes the pressure within the water supply means between the valve means 12 and the relief valve 17 to decrease, generally to a pressure below atmospheric. As a result the limit switch 29 is closed thereby again placing the solenoid valve 12 under the control of the thermostat 21.

From the above description, it will be seen that the ice maker is designed to operate at a minimum hydraulic pressure of about 10 p.s.i., that is the relief pressure operation of the relief valve 17, although water may be supplied to the ice maker at either higher or lower pressures. In other words, the relief valve operating pressure only requires that the boiler pressure be at least 10 p.s.i. The pressure in bellows 8 is the boiler pressure minus 10 p.s.i. The boiler will supply pressure higher than 10 p.s.i. as long as fluid flow is restricted by contact of bumper 7 with the ice rod prior to the severing thereof. In any event, the boiler will always balance the force required to break the ice rod.

When water is supplied to the ice maker from a storage container or reservoir operating at atmospheric pressures, the solenoid valve 12 and the pressure limit switch means 26 are not needed. Reverse flow of water as pressures within the boiler 15 increase during energization of heater 24 is prevented by the check valve 14 and the maximum pressures developed within the portion of the system including boiler 15 are limited by operation of the relief valve 17. Due to the subatmospheric pressures developed in the water supply means between ejecting cycles water flows from the reservoir through the check valve 14 and into boiler 15 during each heater off cycle.

While there has been shown and described specific embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that it is not limited thereto and is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A hydraulic ice maker comprising:

a tube open at one end for containing water to be frozen into ice;

means for freezing the water contained in said tube;

said tube having a water inlet at the other end thereof for introducing water under pressure into said tube to eject a portion of the ice from said one end of said tube; ice severing means including an expansion chamber operable upon expansion of said chamber to sever an ejected portion of ice; 1

water supply means including, in series connection a normally closed valve means connected to a source of water, a boiler, a relief valve and water conduit means connecting said relief valve to said expansion chamber and to said water inlet,

means for heating said boiler to vaporize water contained therein and thereby effect flow of a volume of water through said relief valve and into said expansion chamber to operate said severing means, and a tube heater for effecting a thawing of the bond between said ice and said tube subsequent to the operation of said severing means whereby flow of said volume of water from said expansion to said tube ejects a portion of the ice from said one end thereof.

2. The ice maker of claim 1 including control means comprising temperature responsive switch means for energizing said boiler heating means and said tube heater in response to a below freezing temperature of said tube and tie-energizing said boiler heating means and tube heater in response to an above freezing temperature of said tube. v

3. The ice maker of claim 1 in which the water storage volume of said boiler is substantially equal to the desired volume of water to be introduced into said tube for ejection of said portion of ice.

4. The ice maker of claim 2 in which said normally closed valve means comprises a normally closed solenoid valve and said control means includes a pressure operated switch means in series connection with said temperature responsive switch means and operable in response to pressure conditions in said water supply means for opening said solenoid valve means upon the sensing of the below freezing tube temperature by said temperature responsive switch means and closing said solenoid valve upon a predetermined increase in pressure of said water supply means.

5. A hydraulic ice maker comprising:

a tube open at one end for containing water to be frozen into ice;

means for freezing the water contained in said tube;

said tube having a water inlet at the other end thereof for introducing water under pressure into said tube to eject a portion of the ice from said one end of said tube;

ice severing means including an expansion chamber operable upon expansion of said chamber to sever an ejected portion;

and control means responsive to the freezing of the water supply means including, in series connection, a

means for heating said boiler to vaporize the water contained therein and effect flow of a volume of water under pressure through said relief valve and into said expansion chamber to operate said severing means, 10

and a tube heating means efiecting release of said ice piece subsequent to the operation of said severing means whereby the flow of said volume of water from said expansion to said tube ejects a portion of the ice from said one end thereof,

water in said tube for energizing said boiler and tube heating means and responsive to the increased temperature of said tube upon the flow of said volume of water into said tube for de-energizing said boiler and heating means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,422,772 6/1947 Bohn 62-135 X 2,801,527 8/1957 Gaugler et al 62--344 X 3,008,301 11/1961 Baillif et al 62353 X References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,994,205 8/ 1961 Brubaker et al.

15 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HYDRAULIC ICE MAKER COMPRISING: A TUBE OPEN AT ONE END FOR CONTAINING WATER TO BE FROZEN INTO ICE; MEANS FOR FREEZING THE WATER CONTAINED IN SAID TUBE; SAID TUBE HAVING A WATER INLET AT THE OTHER END THEREOF FOR INTRODUCING WATER UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID TUBE TO EJECT A PORTION OF THE ICE FROM SAID ONE END OF SAID TUBE; ICE SEVERING MEANS INCLUDING AN EXPANSION CHAMBER OPERABLE UPON EXPANSION OF SAID CHAMBER TO SEVER AN EJECTED PORTION OF ICE; WATER SUPPLY MEANS INCLUDING, IN SERIES CONNECTION A NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE MEANS CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OR WATER, A BOILER, A RELIEF VALVE AND WATER CONDUIT 